About Ruefrex
The band was founded as Roofwrecks in 1977 by Paul Burgess and Tom Coulter at Belfast's Boys Model School. Initially, Coulter was the vocalist but switched to bass when Ivan Kelly joined. In 1979, Kelly left to join The Wall in London and was succeeded by Allan Clarke. By the time they released their first single, "One By One," on Terri Hooley's Good Vibrations label, guitarist Jackie Forgie had also joined the band.They scored two hits on the UK Independent Chart: "Capital Letters," which reached number 31, and "Wild Colonial Boy," which reached number 46. Their debut album, Flowers for All Occasions, released on Kasper Records in 1985, earned a five-star review from Sounds, with Roger Holland praising it as a "positively heroic album."
The band was known for their anti-sectarian stance during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. A later lineup included Gordy Blair, who also performed with Highway Star (later known as Stiff Little Fingers) and joined Belfast punk band Rudi in 1976. Forgie went on to join Colenso Parade and later formed the Black Taxi Ballads.
Video
Ruefrex - One By One live 1980
Ruefrex - The Wild Colonial Boy live on Channel 4
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